The disastrous Valley and Butte fires have tested our communities and colleagues, bringing more dread with each new wave of bad news. The fourth year of an insidious drought and the subsequent explosive fires this season have brought devastation to our region, threatening people, property, and their animals. Our emergency response teams, led by Drs. Claudia Sonder, John Madigan, Eric Davis and many others, did not hesitate in their response, immediately offering their compassionate expertise to relieve animal and human suffering. They were quickly joined by a broad coalition of veterinarians from the communities affected by the fires and from the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps of the California Veterinary Medical Association.